The Woman He Married (20 page)

“I don’t know if I can, or if I even remember how.” Josie’s voice started to tremble.

“A very bright young woman once said, ‘We as women must reach down deep inside ourselves and reclaim our inner strength in order to break down the barriers imposed upon us by the patriarchal society in which we live,’”
Barbara said, her tone triumphant.

Pride swelled inside as Josie joined in, “Only then can we begin to heal, not only ourselves, but also the world around us.
To alleviate poverty, war, pollution, and abuse.
The strength that women hold inside
themselves
is, by its very nature, when drawn upon, nigh unstoppable.”

Barbara stopped and shook her head, not remembering the rest.

But Josie continued. “We as women here today must unite. We must put off the vain expectations of the world that have been thrust upon us and press forward in our quest for a better life.” Josie paused, looking at Barbara.

“In so doing we reclaim our true identity as women,” Barbara finished.

Josie stared at Barbara. A tear escaped, rolling down her cheek. “You heard my speech?”

“I memorized your speech,” Barbara clarified. “Your ideas, all those years ago, impacted my life in ways you could never imagine.” Patting Josie’s hand, she said, “I think that it’s time you take
your
own words to heart.”

* * * *

Bounding down the staircase to the main dining room, her blown and straightened hair bouncing lightly as she moved, Josie hoped that she hadn’t kept everyone waiting too long.

“John—is that your wife?” Patrick said, slapping John’s arm with the back of his hand.

John and Andy turned to look, just as Josie descended the last few steps.

After a massage, facial, manicure, pedicure, haircut, plus style, Josie sported a new brightly-colored halter dress, gathered around the bodice, with a flowing skirt that just brushed the top of her knee, and new strappy sandals. She felt like a new woman.

“Damn, Sis… You look hot,” Andy said, running his gaze over her attire once again.

John didn’t say anything—he just gaped at her with the other two. Josie started feeling a little self-conscious, like maybe something was hanging out, or there was a big spider on her head.

Lanny
burst through Patrick and Andy. “Well, don’t you look like Christmas
morning.
” He wagged a finger at Josie. “This island is
gonna
grow on you, I’m betting.” Then as quickly as he’d appeared, he moved away, saying, “Well, everyone’s here and I’m ’bout to starve, so let’s eat.”

Trisha and
Lydia
craned their necks trying to see what the guys were gawking at before filing in after
Lanny
.

Amy smiled and said, “Cute shoes.”

Hesitating for a moment, John took in Josie’s new look. “You look real nice,” he said, standing aside and allowing her to go ahead of him. She felt the subtle touch of John’s hand on the small of her back as he guided her along.
A man should never underestimate the importance of his touch,
she thought
,
be it ever so slight.

An hour later and once again, with the usual chatter around the table, Josie’s mind was somewhere else. She thought about how so many things had changed since she’d written that speech. Nowadays, it seemed that modern women were expected to turn into men—kicking butt and taking names—before they could be perceived as capable.

Women who swore, smoked cigars, carried assault rifles, and took down men twice their size with one swipe of their spiked heel were not exactly what Josie had in mind when she wrote that speech. Josie gave birth to three eight-pound babies and then nourished them with milk produced by her own body; she didn’t need to act like a man in order to feel powerful.

Trisha’s voice rose above the others from the opposite side of the table. “Republicans care about civil rights. After all, President Lincoln was a Republican—he freed the slaves,” she said, asserting her point like it must be obvious to everybody.

Josie thought she must be kidding and snickered. John and Patrick were holding back chuckles themselves, while around the table she saw confused expressions.

Still trying not to laugh, John held out his hand indicating that Josie should go ahead and explain what the three of them already appeared to know.

“Um.
Some people would argue that the only reason
Lincoln
freed the slaves was to cripple the South—keep them from rising up again,” Josie said, cautiously.

“What
are
you talking about?” Trisha spit back.

“The Lincoln Republicans weren’t really concerned with what we call ‘civil rights’.” Pausing, Josie still saw puzzled faces. “Besides, the Democrats and Republicans have switched philosophies over the years. The parties we have today couldn’t really be compared with what they were back then.”

“Maybe everyone should have to take a history class before they can vote,” Patrick teased Trisha. Amy nudged him with her elbow and gave him a hard look.

“Maybe, but economics is really what politics is all about,” Josie said. “For the most part, we only hear politicians mention economics in general terms these days, which doesn’t give us an accurate picture of how their policy would affect us. They can distort the facts and most voters don’t know the difference.”

“Some concepts are too complicated for the average citizen to truly understand,” John said, his eyes playfully encouraging her to continue.

Josie looked back at John for a second and felt the unexpected presence of butterflies in her stomach—he was actually engaging her in a conversation and appeared to be enjoying it.

Before she could stop herself, she took the bait. “So, the politicians dumb things down because the average voter’s too lazy to take the time to learn a few basic economic concepts,” she said. “Instead they waste our time with issues like gay marriage and abortion.”

“Those issues are important to good Christian people,”
Lydia
said.

“Yeah, important, but pale in comparison.”
Josie looked back at
Lydia
’s blank stare. “’Cause it’s
impossible
 
to
legislate morals—to pass laws that will stop people from say, being gay, for example.”

“Yeah, but we don’t have to make it easy on them,”
Denton
said, not even bothering to look up from his Blackberry.

“The Bible says homosexuality is a sin,”
Lydia
said, with a sway of her head.

“The Bible also says that we should love our neighbors as ourselves and not judge others.” Josie glanced at Barbara, who kept quiet, but smiled encouragingly. “I mean the real issues that face Americans have to do with economics. That’s where policy hits home—in the checkbook.”

Trisha jumped back in. “The Republicans cut taxes, the Democrats raise them. It’s a no-brainer.”

No-brainer’s right
, Josie thought.
“Exactly.
Trisha just proved my point.”

Trisha’s Bambi eyes looked self-satisfied, but suspicious.

Josie continued. “Just like Trisha, most people don’t realize that the Republicans
only
cut taxes for the extremely wealthy. The upper, middle, and lower classes don’t have an equal share in that
.
”

“Works for me,”
Lanny
said. “Let’s keep it that way.”

Amy ignored
Lanny’s
last remark and asked, “What do you suggest?”

“Along with history,” Josie said with a triumphant eye for Trisha, “voters should be required to know the difference between Keynesian and Supply-side economics.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Patrick said, nodding to everyone.

“No.”
Denton
slid his Blackberry into his pocket. “Living in a democracy means everyone gets a vote whether they know what they are doing or not.”

“Jocelyn, don’t you think it’s better to save the complicated stuff for the legislators?” John said. His tone was serious, but his eyes were amused as he egged Josie on.

“Yeah, People don’t care ’bout that stuff—and frankly neither do
I,
” Andy said.

Josie threw up her hands. “And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we live in a Republic and not a pure Democracy.” She sat back and shrugged. W
hat else can I say?

John leaned close and wrapped his arm around the back of Josie’s chair. “You having a good time?” he
asked,
his expression staying neutral while his eyes glistened with pride.

Josie could feel his gaze on her throughout the remainder of the meal. And she was warmly aware his arm remained possessively draped over her seat.

Chapter 8

Breathing steadily through her nose, Josie stood perched on one leg, the other bent up into half-lotus, and her arms extended high over her head with her hands in prayer position. Focused intently on a swaying palm in the distance, Josie counted five breaths while concentrating on the imaginary line running from her hands down through the crown of her head, spine, and on to the balcony beneath her.

Be the tree.

She tilted her head up slightly, allowing the sun to warm her face as the ocean breeze brushed past and a small flock of parakeets screeched by.
Parakeets?
Josie almost lost her balance, wobbling on her supporting leg before refocusing back on the palm in the distance. She hadn’t done yoga outside since she and Brian were in
Asia
years ago. Now, with no little ones to get in her way, Josie took advantage of the peace, and the atmosphere, to do something she’d been longing to do—yoga, the way it was intended, surrounded by nature.

John hadn’t come in until four that morning. When he’d climbed into bed, Josie rolled over to face him but he promptly turned his back to her. This morning he was back to his usual surly self. Breathing out, Josie opened her arms wide, holding them to the side, feeling her shoulders part and roll back…
I’m a blooming lotus flower and a tree
.

“Jocelyn, I’m going now,” John announced from the open door.

Thanks for the update; now be quiet.

“Jocelyn, did you hear me? What the hell are you doing anyway?”

I’m the tree…the “becoming very annoyed” tree.

Josie parted her lips and spoke dryly, “You’re interrupting my center.”

“We’re going to hit some balls at the driving range before tee-time—are you listening to me?” John sounded impatient.

Exhaling again, Josie moved her arms back up to prayer position overhead. “Fine, hit a few for me while you’re at it,” she mumbled.
Be the swaying palm.

John sighed loudly. “Tee-time’s at eleven. Don’t be late now, you hear?”

Josie didn’t answer; she just slid her hands down slowly along her face, stopping at her heart.
Feel your center.

“Do you want me to carry your clubs down for you?”

“Makes no never-mind to me just so long as you
STOP
interrupting my center.”